Getting help with living in France

Help from the French government

For any questions about moving to or living in France, you may be able to get help from:

• the French consulate in London
• the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
• your local branch of France Services (in French)
• your local prefecture (in French)

For help in accessing your rights as a resident in France, contact your local:

• citizens’ contact centre (‘Centre de Contact Citoyen’ or ‘CCC’) (in French)
• France Services (in French)
• CCAS (‘Centre Communal d’Action Sociale’)(in French)
• townhall (‘Mairie’) (in French)

The UK government and the British Embassy in Paris cannot give personalised advice on moving to, living or retiring in France. 

Professional help in France

You can also get help from English-speaking professionals in France, including:

• lawyers
• translators
• notaries
• funeral directors

Help from the UK government

Read the travel advice for France to understand the risks you may face if you live in or visit France. This includes the latest information on:

• visas and entry requirements
• laws and cultural differences
• safety and security

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad.

Get help from the UK government abroad, including in an emergency.

Visas, residency and citizenship

Make sure you meet the entry requirements for France before you travel.

Visas and residence permits

Check which visa or residence permit you need to live in France.

You can get a visa or residence permit to:

• work
• study
• live with family in France
• be an au pair
• volunteer
• get medical treatment

The French government’s visa wizard explains the different visas and visa requirements.

For more information, read guidance on:

• applying for a French visa in the UK
• coming to France
• settling in France
• bringing your family to France

Registering as a resident

Once you arrive, you need to apply for a residence permit or validate your long stay visa. Read the French government’s guidance on your arrival in France.

If you have any problems or questions:

• read guidance on residence cards and travel documents for foreign nationals in France
• contact the French visa service
• contact an English-speaking lawyer in France

Extending or replacing your visa or residence permit

Contact your local prefecture (in French) or the French consulate in London for information on how to:

• extend your visa or residency permit
• replace a lost, damaged or stolen visa or residency permit

You may be able to renew or replace your residence permit online.

You can also read the French government’s guidance on what to do if:

• you have lost your residency permit
• your residency permit has been stolen
• your address changes – you may need to request a new residence permit

Renewing your Withdrawal Agreement Residence Permit 

You must renew your initial 5-year Withdrawal Agreement Residence Permit (WARP) before it expires. In French, this is known as a carte de séjour « Article 50 TUE / Article 18 Accord de retrait du Royaume-Uni de l’Union européenne ». 

You should apply in the 2 months before the expiry date shown on your permit. The application is free of charge. If you meet the conditions for permanent residence, your new WARP will be valid for 10 years. Read the French government’s guidance on renewing a WARP, including the documents you need.

Your local prefecture processes your application. Check your prefecture’s website (in French) for the application process in your department. Depending on the arrangements in your area, you may need to apply: 

• online 
• by post 
• in person at the prefecture, after making an appointment 

Do not use the general ANEF residence permit renewal service. Only use the application route specified by your prefecture. 

When applying, you will normally need: 

• a valid passport 
• proof of your current address 
• 3 identity photographs 
• your WARP that is approaching expiry 

The French authorities will ask you to attend an appointment to check original documents or record biometric information. You will need to collect your new permit from your prefecture or sub-prefecture.

Keep your contact details up to date and check your email, including your junk or spam folder, so that you do not miss an appointment or collection notification. When contacting your prefecture about your application include your French foreign national identification number, numéro étranger found on your WARP.  

Your prefecture should issue a récépissé evidence of your continuing residence rights while your renewal application is being processed.  

Follow your prefecture’s advice before travelling. If you travel while your renewal is being processed and have been issued with a récépissé, carry: 

• your valid passport 
• your récépissé 
• your previous residence permit 

If you have problems renewing your permit 

If you have problems applying, have not received a response or need information about the progress of your application, contact your prefecture first. Include your numéro étranger and any application or case reference in your correspondence. 

If you have been unable to resolve the problem with your prefecture, you can contact the French Ministry of the Interior’s Brexit support service by email at: contact-demandeenligne-brexitdgef@interieur.gouv.fr  

When contacting the support service, include: 

• your full name and date of birth 
• your numéro étranger 
• the name of your prefecture 
• the expiry date of your current WARP 
• your application reference, if you have one 
• a brief explanation of the problem and the steps you have already taken 

For general information about Withdrawal Agreement residence rights, read the French government’s: 

• guidance for British nationals and their family members living in France 

• Droit au séjour-EN - brexit

Permanent residency

You may be able apply for a multi-annual residency permit or a permanent residency permit once your residency permit expires.

To find out if you’re eligible and how to apply, read the French government’s guidance on residence cards and travel documents for foreign nationals in France.

Citizenship

France recognises dual citizenship with the UK. This means that you do not have to give up (renounce) your British citizenship to become a French citizen.

To find out if you’re eligible for French citizenship:

• read guidance on how to get French nationality
• contact your local naturalisation authority (‘plateforme naturalisation’) (in French)

Help with visa, residency and citizenship applications

The British Embassy in Paris cannot help with French visa, residency or citizenship applications.

For any questions or issues, contact:

• the French visa service
• the French consulate in London
• an English-speaking lawyer in France

Residency if you moved to France before 1 January 2021

If you moved to France before 1 January 2021, and have been legally living there since then, you and your family members have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Residence documents if you moved to France before 1 January 2021

If you moved to France before 1 January 2021, make sure you have a Withdrawal Agreement Residence Permit (WARP). In French, this is known as a ‘carte/titre de séjour ‹‹accord de retrait du Royaume-Uni de l’Union Européenne››’. This shows that you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Children do not need a WARP, but must apply for one at the local prefecture (in French) when they turn 18. If your child needs a WARP for work, they can apply for one from the age of 16.

For more information, read the French government’s guidance and frequently asked questions on British citizens’ right of residence after Brexit.

Under the new digital Entry/Exit System (EES), you’ll need a valid WARP or other French residency permit when entering or leaving France. If you have one, you will not have to register with the EES when entering, leaving or travelling within the Schengen area. Without it, you may be wrongly identified as overstaying in the Schengen Area and denied entry to France or other Schengen countries.

Children under 18 will need a DCEM (‘Document de circulation pour étranger mineur’) to be exempt from registering with the EES. DCEMs are free as part of your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Special residence permits

You or your dependants may have a special residence permit or ‘titre de séjour special’. If this was issued by 31 December 2020, you can apply for a Withdrawal Agreement Residence Permit (WARP).

To apply for a WARP, you must give up your special residence permit. There is no deadline to apply, but you cannot hold both permits at the same time.

If you do not have a residence permit

If you were living in France before 1 January 2021, but do not have a Withdrawal Agreement Residence Permit (WARP), you must apply for one. You’ll need to submit evidence to prove that you met the residency criteria at the time.

You can no longer request a WARP online. Instead, submit your application to your local prefecture (in French). Read the French government’s guidance on the closure of the online residence permit request service for more information.

If your application is successful, you’ll get a WARP.

If your application is unsuccessful, you may be able to appeal. Consider getting legal advice from an English-speaking lawyer in France.

For more information on how to apply, read the French government’s guidance on:

• what British people and their family members have to do to live in France
• Brexit and the Withdrawal Agreement

Renewing your residence permit if you moved to France before 1 January 2021

You’ll need to renew your initial Withdrawal Agreement Residence Permit (WARP) before it expires. Your local prefecture will process your renewal application free of charge.

For information on how to renew your WARP:

• read about what British people and their family members have to do to live in France
• contact your local prefecture (in French)

You also need to report any changes and request a new WARP on the French government portal if:

• your personal details change – for example after a change to your address or marital status
• your WARP is lost or stolen
• you want to add your marital name (‘nom d’usage’) to your WARP, as well as your birth name (‘nom de famille/naissance’)

Bringing family members to France if you moved there before 1 January 2021

The French government’s guidance on what British people and their family members have to do to live in France explains:

• which family members can join you in France
• how and when they should apply for their residence document

Passports and travel

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• apply for a British passport from abroad
• travel urgently without your British passport

Always carry your passport and residence document when entering, leaving or travelling within the Schengen area. If you’re asked to show your passport at border control, make sure you also show your residence document or other evidence of residence status. Your passport may be stamped if you do not.

If you have dual citizenship of an EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country, you should enter and leave France using your EU or EFTA passport.

Dual citizens travelling to the UK 

When travelling to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. Read guidance on dual citizenship.

European Entry/Exit System (EES)

Under the new digital Entry/Exit System (EES) there are new rules for entering, leaving or travelling within the Schengen area. Non-EU nationals will need to have their photo and fingerprints taken or verified at the border. This data will be stored in a digital record and used to monitor how long visitors have spent in the Schengen area.

British nationals do not need to register with the EES if they’re legally resident in France and have a valid 5-year, 10-year or permanent residence permit.

If you’re legally resident in France but do not have a residence permit, contact your local prefecture (in French) for information on how to get one.

For more information about the EES, read:

• EU guidance on the EES
• guidance on the EES for UK nationals

Resident children travelling in and out of France

Border officers may ask children under 18 to present a minor foreigner movement document when entering France. In French, this is called a DCEM or ‘Document de circulation pour étranger mineur’. The French authorities should issue this document for free for children under 18 who have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Children will also need this document to be exempt from registering with the European Entry/Exit System (EES).

Healthcare in France

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• plan your healthcare
• take medicine abroad

To find out how to get medical treatment:

• read guidance on healthcare in France and health in France
• find hospitals for British nationals in France
• read the French government’s guidance on health insurance for foreign nationals living in France

Working in France

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers working abroad, including documents you may need from the UK government.

To work in France, you may need a work permit or work visa. Our guidance on travelling to France for work explains the different work permits and visas available to you. You can also read the French visa service’s guidance on work visas.

You do not need a work permit or visa if you have been living in France legally since before 1 January 2021, as you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

To apply for a job, you may need to provide a:

• UK police certificate
• UK ‘subject access request’ (the equivalent of a ‘casier judiciaire’)
• International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC), if you plan to work with children

If you live in France and were regularly commuting to work in another EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country before 1 January 2021, read guidance for frontier workers.

Recognition of qualifications

If you want to work in France, you may need to get your foreign qualifications recognised.

Driving in France

Read our guidance on moving, living and retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• drive abroad legally
• take your UK vehicle abroad
• get driving licence letters

The French government provide information on driving in France, including how to:

• drive in France with a foreign driving licence
• exchange a foreign driving licence
• register a foreign vehicle
• apply for a French driving licence

For more information read guidance on:

• driving in the EU
• road travel in France, in safety and security in the travel advice for France

Driving in France using a foreign driving licence

You can drive in France for short stays or if you are a student using a driving licence issued in:

• the UK
• Gibraltar
• Jersey
• Guernsey
• the Isle of Man

If you have one of these licences and it was issued before 1 January 2021, you can use it to drive in France until it expires.

You cannot replace or renew any of these licences if you live in France.

Exchanging your foreign driving licence

You must exchange your UK, Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or Ise of Man driving licence for a French licence if:

• it was issued after 1 January 2021 – make the exchange within 12 months of your arrival in France
• it was issued before 1 January 2021 and has expired, or will expire in the next 12 months

You can apply online through the National Agency for Secure Titles (ANTS).

You’ll need to:

• get a check code from the DVLA – for English, Welsh and Scottish driving licences
• get a check code from the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) – for Northern Irish driving licences
• contact the relevant licensing authority to ask for a letter or certificate of entitlement – for Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or Isle of Man licences

You should apply for the exchange before the 12 months is over. Applications may take time to process, and you’ll need your French licence to drive legally.

When your application is accepted you will get a secured deposit receipt (‘attestation de dépôt sécurisée’). You can use this document to drive in France until you get your new licence.

Disabled drivers

You may be able to apply for:

• a French disabled parking card
• an EU parking card for people with disabilities

If you have a UK Blue Badge and live in France, you must return it to the original UK issuing authority.

Tax

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers tax, including paying UK tax and National Insurance. 

The UK has a double taxation agreement with France so that you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries.

Contact the French tax authority (in French) for any questions about double taxation relief.

Consider getting professional advice on paying tax in France. To do this, find an English-speaking lawyer in France.

Declaring your assets

You must declare any assets (in French) held outside France. This includes:

• bank accounts
• securities
• insurance
• annuities
• property

This declaration is separate to the annual tax return.

National Insurance

Check if you need to pay National Insurance if you’re going to work in the EU, Gibraltar, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.

Pensions

Claiming your UK pension

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers:

• how to claim your UK State Pension
• where the UK government pays an annual increase in the State Pension

Your UK state pension is calculated differently if you’ve previously lived in Australia, Canada or New Zealand and now live in the EU.

Claiming a French pension

Contact your local pensions office (CARSAT) (in French) to find out whether you can claim a French pension.

You can also read guidance on:

• retirement in France
• your pension rights and retirement (in French)

Benefits

Claiming UK benefits

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to claim UK benefits abroad, including Child Benefit. 

You can also read guidance on benefits and pensions for UK nationals in the EU, EEA or Switzerland.

Claiming French benefits

You may be entitled to some French benefits.

To find out if you’re eligible and how to claim:

• use the French government’s benefits simulator (in French)
• read guidance on the French social security system
• check if you’re eligible for French unemployment benefit – you can register with France Travail to claim
• read guidance on disability benefit and family benefits in France

Buying and renting property in France

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers buying and renting property abroad. 

Contact an English-speaking lawyer in France if you’re considering buying property or land in France.

You can also read the French government’s guidance on:

• buying or selling a home in France
• renting private property in France
• social and private housing in France

Voting in France

UK elections

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• vote in UK elections from abroad
• register as an overseas voter

French elections

You cannot vote in French elections unless you hold French citizenship.

You also cannot vote in European elections unless you hold citizenship of an EU country.

Studying in France

If you plan to study in France, you must meet all visa requirements before you travel.

You do not need a student visa if you have been living in France legally since before 1 January 2021, as you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

For more information, read guidance on:

• tuition fees in France
• scholarships for foreign students in France
• studying in the EU
• travel grants for students studying abroad or on placements (England)

You can also contact:

• your higher education provider in the UK or France
• Campus France
• the French consulate in London

Children

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers moving abroad with children, including:

• getting permission to take your child abroad
• claiming UK Child Benefit abroad
• child maintenance payments if a parent lives abroad

Schools and education

The European Commission provides information about the school system in France.

All children aged 3 to 16 must attend school or home school in France.

For more information, read the French government’s guidance on:

• compulsory schooling
• home schooling
• enrolling your child in primary school
• enrolling your child in secondary school

Childcare

The public service for early childhood (in French) is responsible for childcare services in France.

For more information, read guidance on:

• getting care for your child
• early childhood education and care in France

Births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships

Births

If your child is born in France, register the birth with the French authorities.

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• register the birth with the UK authorities to get a UK birth certificate
• apply for your child’s first British passport

Deaths

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers:

• what to do after someone dies abroad
• how to register the death with the UK authorities

If someone dies in France, read guidance on:

• what to do when someone dies in France
• English-speaking funeral directors in France
• declaration of death, funeral and burial in France

Marriages and civil partnerships

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to get married or form a civil partnership abroad.

You can also read our guidance on completing a self declaration form for marriage or civil partnership (PACS) in France.

The French government provides information on:

• marriage in France
• civil partnership in France
• common-law relationships in France

Divorce and separation

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to get a divorce or end a civil partnership.

The French government offers guidance on how to get a divorce or legal separation in France.

Consider taking legal advice from an English-speaking lawyer in France.

Documents for British people in France

Read our guidance on documents for British people abroad. This covers: 

• legalising and certifying UK documents
• marriage and civil partnership documents
• affirmations and affidavits
• witnessing signatures

Lawyers, translators and notaries

To find an English-speaking lawyer, translator or notary in France, read guidance on professional services if you’re abroad.

Pets

If you want to bring your pet with you to France, read guidance on:

• coming to France with your pet
• taking your pet dog, cat or ferret to an EU country

Returning to the UK

Read returning to the UK permanently. This includes information on bringing family members back to the UK, tax and access to services.

If the NHS funds your healthcare in France through the S1 form, contact the NHS Overseas Healthcare Team to cancel it.

Disclaimer

We provide this information as a guide only. For definitive information, contact the French authorities.

Read our consular information disclaimer.